Gasoline storage tank



June 17, 1930. c. M. BRILL GASOLINE STORAGE TANK Filed Aug. 20, 1929 INVENTOR. Clifton Erin,

liius Patented June 17, 1939 UNETEE gTATES CLINTON MORGAN BRILL, OF PETERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA GASOLINE STORAGE TANK Application filed August 20, 1929.

The present invention relates to improvements in gasoline dispensing devices, and has for an object to dispense with the pumps employed for lifting the gasoline from the under-ground tank to the measuring visible container and to replace such pumps with a simple compressed air operating device, whereby the expense of installation will be greatly reduced and the operation of dispensing and vending gasoline to motor vehicles at service stations will be greatly facilitated.

It is another chest of the invention to provide an improved construction, whereby the compressed air usually kept on hand at all garages and service stations for the purpose of inflating vehicle tires is utilized in connection with the gasoline dispensing system. A further object of the invention is to i provide an improved gasoline dispensing device in which the laborious act of pumping on the part of the attendants at service stations is done away with and the time involved in such pumping operation is largely saved,

so that a much quicker service and a service much more easily performed results.

It is a further aim of the invention to reduce the cost of installation and maintenance of gasoline dispensing devices.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. 7

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, I

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, with parts shown in elevation showing a gasoline dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. 7

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the improved sunken storage tank.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on i the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on theline 41-4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line 55 also in Figure 2. j

Figure 6 is a vertical enlarged fragmentary Serial No. 387,186;

section taken through the storage tank and including the check valve and plug, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the valve and its connections.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates the building which is. usually found upon the premises of gasoline service stations, garages and the like. In the building are to be customarily found an electric motor 11 for driving anair compressor 12 which delivers air to a receiver 13. The receiver supplies air to the hose connections by which vehicle tires are inflated.

It is the purpose of the present invention to utilize this usual and convenient source of compressed air for the purpose of lifting the gasoline from the under-ground storage tank 14 to the visible measuring container 15,'which is situated at the upper portion of the housing 16. This housing 16. usually encases the pump construct-ion, but according to the present invention I dispense with such pump construction and in place thereof incorporate a control valve and pipe connections, whereby, by a simple movement of the 75. valve, the attendant at the service station may raise the gasoline and dispense it through the hose 17 and nozzle 18 which are also a part of the conventional gasoline dispensing equipment now to be found gener ally at service stations. The gasoline supply tank 14 is provided with a filling connection 19 by which the'same is replenished with, gasoline or other liquid fuel from time to time as occasion demands.

The gasoline tank 1 1- is also provided in they usual manner with a vent line 20 and with an over-flow connection 21 from the visible container 15. i I

Now the gasoline storage tank 14 is moditied in construction over the ordinary form of tank, in that it is provided at its lower por tion with a compartment 22. This compartment may be formed in the tank in any appropriate manner, and this compartment com-- municates with the main liquid space of the tank through a port 23 in an end wall 21 of the compartment. Such end wall is spaced ,from an endwall 25 of the storage tank in which a screw or other removable plug 26 is located in substantial alignment with the port 23 and with a check valve 27 that guards said port. The check valve may be of the swinging form shown in Figure 6, or of any other desired variety. The check valve closes toward the storage tank and opens inwardly of the compartment 22.- As shown in. Figure 2, ports 28 and 29 are made in the. other end of the compartment 23 which coincides with the end wall 30 of the storage tank 14. Pipes or conduits 31 and 32 connect respectively with the ports 29 and 28. The pipe or conduit 32 extends up through the housing 16 of the dispensing device and into the' visible container 15 and this pipe 32 is the supply pipe from thestorage tank 14 to the visible container 15 and conveys the liquid gasoline up into such visible container. 5 a

The other pipe 31 extends to a valve casing 33, as shown in Figure 7, connecting through a lower port 34 in the valve casing with which is shown to registera wide port 35 in the ro tary valve body 36. The wide port 35 communicates with a narrowed port 37 which extends at substantially right angles to the port- 35. This latter port 37 is shown as in registry with a port 38 in the valve casing connecting with a pipe line 39 extending down through the housing 16 and into. the ground and along the ground to a point beneath the buildinglO and thence up within the protection ofthe building 10 and to the air receiver 13..

The valve casing 33 is provided with a I third port 40 in its upper portionadapted to register with the wide port 35 of the valve body when suchvalve body is rotated at 90 in aclockwise'direction from the position shown in Figure 7. This port connects by a pipe 41 with the outside atmosphere where-- by to vent the compartment 22in the-storage tank as hereinafter explained.

The valve body 36 is provided. with the being assumed that the receiver 13 is supplied with'air under pressure, when the valve body 36 is rotated to the position shown in Figure .7, communication is set up between. the pipes 39 and 31. Thus compressed air from the receiver 13 flows through pipe 39 and into pipe 7 31 and down. into thecompartment 22.*As.

the pressure builds up in the compartment, it

. will automatically act to close the check valve 27 against its seat, thus shutting off communication between the compartment and the storage tank and preventing the further flow of gasoline from the storage tank into the compartment 22., Furthermore, as the pressure builds up in the compartment 22 it will displace the liquid gasoline in the compartment 22 and force same out through the pipe con nection 32 and up into the visible container 15.. A ratio may be established between the capacity of the compartment 22 and that of the visible container 15. For instance the compartment 22 may be of a size to hold ten gallons of gasoline and this will be a multiple ofthe capacity of the visible container 15.

Any overflow in the visible container 15 will find its way through the connection 21 back to the main storage tank 14. When the vislble container 15 has receivedv itscharge of the the upper port 40 of the valve casingxthusventing the compartment 22 to atmosphere and at the same time cutting off the supply of compressed air from the: receiver 13. and.

through the pipe 39.

The pressure in the compartment 22. will thus evacuate through the pipes 31 and 42 and check valve 27,. whereby gasoline may refill the compartment 22 in readiness for the next actuation. V p

' It will be appreciated from they present invention that no motor or pump is necessary for the housing 16. and that the. cost. of such installations is almost wholly eliminated as the valve 36 and itsv connections. are. relatively inexpensive;

' The compartment 22in the lower portion of the storage tank 14 may be conveniently built into the usual cylindrical form of tank by inserting a partition 45 of the. same: gage by-the dots 46 in Figure 3. In a similar man ner the dotted line 47 in Figure 3 indicates the line of welding. between this partition.

plate 45 and the'opposite end. wall. 30 of the as i IEO

tank '14, the line of welding being indicated tank 14. vThe partition .45 is of a length slightly less thanthe length of the. tank: and. its end wall 24, as shown. in Figure. 1, fwhich end wall-may be formed by turnin-gdownthe end p'ortion of the plate 45, rests upon the lower portion of the tank 14 and isweld'ed or otherwise secured thereto, as indicated-by the dotted-line 48 in Figure 5. A particular feature of convenience with the construction just'referred to is that all of. the welding can-- be accomplished before. the head 25. is put in place' After the partition 25 is. located. and welded within the tank both. to thetank terior of the tank and to the check valve in case of needed repairs. The device will operate with any dispenser having no pump in it.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

lVhat is claimed is 1. An improved gasoline dispensing device comprising a storage tank having means to fill and vent the same and having end heads, a partition extending across the lower portion of said storage tank and secured at its side edges to the side walls of the tank and at one end to one head of the tank but being spaced at its other end from the opposite head of the tank, said partition having at said spaced end a downwardl projecting end wall for resting upon the ottom portion of the storage tank and being secured thereto, said wall having a port, a check valve for governing said port, said partition forming a compartment in the lower portion of the tank, and means whereby compressed air may be introduced to said compartment to close said check valve and subsequently deliver the fuel therefrom.

2. An improved gasoline dispensing device comprising a storage tank for the fuel, a partition in said tank having its side edges welded to the side walls of the tank and one end welded to one head of the tank but having its other end spaced from the opposite head of said tank, said last mentioned end of the partition having a wall projecting downwardly at substantially right angles and welded to the bottom of the tank, said wall having a port therein, a check valve guarding said port, a removable plug in the last mentioned head of the tank disposed in alinement with said check valve and port, and means to introduce compressed air to the compartment in the tank cut off by said partition for'closing the check valve and raising and dispensing the liquid fuel. 7

3. An apparatus for the dispensing of gasoline comprising a supply tank, a compartment formed in the lower end portion of said tank and extending to one end of said tank but being spaced from the opposite head of said tank, an end wall for said compartment spaced from said last mentioned head of the tank and having a port therein, a check valve for controlling said port, a removable plug in the adjacent head of the tank in registry with said check valve, the other head of the tank having a plurality of ports, a dispensing vessel in communication with one of said ports, a compressed air supply under control in communication with the other of said ports, and means whereby the last mentioned port may be placed in communication with the atmosphere.

CLINTON MORGAN BRILL. 

